Gombrowicz's "Ivona' at Swarthmore

A princess with a problem

Witold Gombrowicz wrote with a sneering savagery, most of it directed at aristocrats and their sense of entitlement but also at the middle and lower classes who envied them. Swarthmore's production of Ivona wholeheartedly abandoned itself to his frenetic sense of absurdity.

Merilyn Jackson

Apr 13, 2012 · Articles · 5 minute read

"Cyrano' at the Arden (2nd review)

The essential human misunderstanding

Cyrano de Bergerac is the only French play between the 17th and 20th Centuries to hold its place on the international stage. Michael Hollinger's pungent adaptation gets about as much of Edmond Rostand's epic conception as a modern audience can probably digest.

Robert Zaller

Apr 10, 2012 · Articles · 8 minute read

Bruce Graham's "Outgoing Tide,' by PTC (1st review)

Why again are we laughing?

Bruce Graham's The Outgoing Tide confronts Alzheimer's disease with wisecracks like, “Are you crazy?” The playwright's immense talent, a first-rate cast of three, and innovative staging create a powerful theater experience nevertheless.

Marshall A. Ledger

Apr 10, 2012 · Articles · 5 minute read

Doubts about Shanley's "Doubt' at Walnut's Studio 3

Without a Doubt

Deep down, even a hard-assed nun is a woman, right? Which means she's a sexual creature. And if a charismatic priest doesn't pay attention to her, well”¦.

Jackie Schifalacqua

Apr 06, 2012 · Articles · 3 minute read

EgoPo's "The Golem'

Protector of the Jews

EgoPo previously made its reputation by reviving classic theatrical works; here its ensemble has created a new play, albeit one based on old legends, amalgamating the cultural, spiritual and artistic history of Jewish life in Europe.

Steve Cohen

Mar 31, 2012 · Articles · 5 minute read

"West Side Story' at Academy of Music

Jets and Sharks for a new generation

West Side Story revolutionized musical theater in the ‘50s by virtue of being set in the here and now. That's no longer the case, but the current revival is a revelation in other respects.

Steve Cohen

Mar 31, 2012 · Articles · 4 minute read

Lanna Joffrey's "Valiant,' by InterAct

War is hell, and what else is new?

Lanna Joffrey's Valiant relates the suffering of 13 women in conditions of war and exile, as if war is an exclusively male activity. The cumulative effect of their recitations is more stultifying than enlightening.

Robert Zaller

Mar 31, 2012 · Articles · 5 minute read

"Shipwrecked!' at People's Light

A South Seas state of mind

In this entertaining true tale of a man who was either the greatest adventurer or greatest hoaxer of his time, Donald Margulies has fashioned a stimulating piece of children's theater that will appeal to adults as well.

Bill Murphy

Mar 27, 2012 · Articles · 2 minute read

"Death of a Salesman' on Broadway

The way we were, and still are

Mike Nichols's loving production, historically meticulous in every detail, plays curiously more like a museum piece than a fresh, dynamic new exploration of Arthur Miller's 1949 masterwork. It performs a valuable service nevertheless.

Carol Rocamora

Mar 27, 2012 · Articles · 6 minute read

"Fela!' at Academy of Music (2nd review)

Not your mother's Broadway musical

Pity the Kimmel season subscribers who arrived at Fela! without advance preparation. This is a political musical with some very discomfiting edges— and that's to its credit.

Judy Weightman

Mar 27, 2012 · Articles · 4 minute read